Blessed is the Woman

“Blessed is the woman who has a smile in her voice,

 a sparkle in her eyes, a song on her lips;

a spring in her step, a warmth in her touch,

a depth in her beauty, a purpose for her life,

a joy in her faith, a hope in her breast and a love in her heart.”

 

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26

Modesty is Attractive – A Man’s Perspective

Ladies:  The holier and purer that a woman is, the more mysterious she is. 

       Women who have no backbone and no self-respect are predictable.  Men can easily control these women and get bored with them quickly.  On the other hand, a virtuous woman is mysterious.  Getting to know a holy girl is always an adventure for a man.  Sanctity is by nature interesting and engaging.  Good girls draw a man in and keep his attention longer than bad girls.  Vice is simple and predictable.  What’s the difference between Helen of Troy and Cleopatra?  Hair color and heritage.  What’s the difference between them vs. Teresa of Ávila and Thérèse of Lisieux?  All the difference in the world.

I’m gonna approach modesty from a slightly different angle.  You  hear all the time how it helps us men to be pure and keep our minds clean and treat you with respect.  That’s no secret.  What you may not realize is that by veiling your tabernacle (just as Jesus is hidden in the Church’s tabernacle), you’re inviting a sense of reverence and mystery from men.  Remember that what you DON’T reveal to us is as (if not more) important as what you DO reveal to us.  A man should come away from every meeting with one of you knowing that there is always more to you.  Beginning with veiling your body, you are demonstrating that there is always more to you.

Your holiness can be intoxicating.  This is a very good thing.  Men today are used to taking everything for themselves.  A virtuous woman can be the conduit by which a man can transcend himself.  This losing of the self is exactly what Christ described as true charity and the cause of true joy.  We find our happiness only when we forget ourselves and concentrate on the whole other person, not just one aspect of her.  Your modesty encourages us to be surprised by ALL of you, not just your body.  Your body is very interesting and mysterious, but it pales in comparison to the mystery of the feminine spirit.

Saint Maria Goretti be with you.

You Are Not Alone

You are not alone.

   As a woman, in the depths of my soul, I long to be loved, beautiful, wanted, respected and worth fighting for.  Sound familiar? I don’t even know you and already I feel like we have a lot in common! Truly!

The other day I was listening to a young woman of 17 tell me how she thinks she will never get married because she doesn’t think she is lovable. Wow. Things don’t change much as we get older do they?!  For one really long moment I just wanted to hold both her hands and assure her confidently, that yes, she is lovable. Indeed she is priceless. In fact, she is worth dying for.

Look around us in society. It’s all over. Wear this deodorant and you will be beautiful. Shop at this store and you will be popular. Get this car and you will wow all your friends.  We are told all over how we can attain these five things:

Love, beauty, being wanted (accepted), respect……but what happened to our value?

Cha-ching$$$……….the quickest way to cheapen something that is priceless is to put a price tag on it.

Ladies, we are bombarded with how to value ourselves in accordance with how society defines our value.

You are created more than that.

I went out to lunch with my boyfriend the other day and after he got the bill from the waitress I jokingly commented, “What did I cost you?” he grinned at me and said, “You are priceless.”

Yes, women, YOU ARE PRICELESS! You are worth waiting for.  I wish I could give that point of confidence to each young woman as she begins to long for that “Knight in shining armor”. Someone to love us. Someone to respect us. Someone to know us to the depths of our being. Someone who will always be there for us. Someone who will want us always no matter what we look like. Someone who makes us feel beautiful.

Yes, that longing is real.

Yes, that longing is normal.

Yes, that longing takes place in each of our feminine lives at some point.

Yet, what do we struggle with? Thoughts of confusion as to our level of self-worth.  Yet, we don’t always realize that there is only one way to fill it; only one way that will truly satisfy. That is with the love of Jesus Christ.

You, woman, are a masterpiece.  Your value is stamped in the very depths of your being.

You are loved.

You are beautiful

You are wanted, even desired,

You are respected and You are of such value that

    You are worth dying for!

In fact, someone has already laid down His life for you!

I will be here...... ~Jesus

Dressing with Dignity

Besides just affecting us, the way we dress also affects those around us. For example, a 16-year-old girl decides to wear a tight shirt and a mini skirt to attract the attention of a cute boy in her class. She does not realize however, that her 45-year-old teacher who is married with three children, notices her promiscuity and becomes tempted to lust after her. Also, the fifth-grade, hormone-crazed boy decides to stare too long at her while she walks in the hall.

As women, we naturally desire for affection and love. However, by dressing immodestly, we receive attention that does not value us as a person but rather degrades our dignity and worth. This “love” is fake and is rooted in selfishness and use. By dressing immodestly we are actually encouraging others to view us in this way.

My boyfriend Jared has been such a blessing to me by making me more aware of the image I portray to others when wearing low-cut shirts.  Once we started dating and he saw more of my wardrobe, he had the courage to tell me that he preferred me wearing higher-necked shirts so it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable for him and myself.  When I wore shirts like that, he was always so painfully mindful to not let his eyes wander and it was a terrible temptation for him to control, even if he only wanted to have an innocent conversation with me.  Because I love him and don’t want him to suffer more than is necessary, I chose to comply with his request.  He respected me enough to look beyond his own selfish desires and let me preserve my purity.  Now, THIS is the kind of guy you want with you the rest of your life.  And believe me, they’ll notice you for your self-confidence and virtuous habits, so don’t bother wearing shorty-shorts and skin-tight tank-tops.  It only harms your chances of reeling in a “keeper.”

After reading this, we hope that you are encouraged in the battle to dress modestly. So the next time you have the urge to wear a tight shirt remember your dignity and protect your heart from those who do not deserve to enter into that sacred chamber.

Stacie

A man’s perspective………………….

Womanly Dignity

“What do you say to a modestly-dressed woman?”

———————————

“Your dignity’s showing!”

With the warm weather coming out, girls tend to show more skin and wear less clothing. It keeps us cooler and is also more attractive to the guys, so why not?

     As women, we should always be mindful of what we wear and how it affects those around us. More importantly, modesty is an outward sign that portrays an inward sign of security, love and respect for ourselves and others. By dressing modestly we show others the dignity that women inherently are given by God. We demand more than the attention that our bodily appearance gives on its own. We challenge others to love us for who we are, rather than for what we look like. On a more practical level, modesty also benefits women because it allows us to be comfortable by not being limited in how we can move without exposing more than what should be shown.

Before I met my fiancé, I struggled in some ways to dress modestly and I did not understand all of the affects it had on myself and those around me. Immediately after starting a relationship, I felt the desire to dress more modestly. I believe this is because every woman knows inside that to be truly respected and loved by ourselves and others, we must dress in a way that conveys that message. Not only am I happier and more secure than I have ever been, but my fiancé as well is so thankful for the way I choose to dress.

Katie

A guy’s perspective………..

“Modesty is not only an ornament, but also a guard to virtue.”

You Are Beautiful

“A beautiful and chaste woman is the perfect workmanship of God, and the true glory of angels, the rare miracle of earth, and the sole wonder of the world.”

Being beautiful is complicated.

     As a woman, I know when I go out in the world I am very aware of how I am being portrayed. I used to be obsessed with making sure that I looked my best whenever thought I would see a guy that I liked. I would spend hours in front of the mirror and look at all the imperfections that someone might see.

After too much money spent on makeup I realize that being beautiful is not as easy as a few licks of mascara and some concealer on that one blemish on your face. No, being beautiful is letting the one and only Man be your guide and show you how you can be romanced. Don’t get me wrong, makeup is not a bad thing, however, when there is too much, people get distracted by the overly done makeup and not the beautiful woman. Jesus loves you most when you are not impressing all the other men around you. He will help your interior beauty radiate if you give Him your heart.

Being romanced by Jesus Christ himself is more important than being romanced by any other man. It is so difficult being single and thinking that the right guy is out there and praying for me.

You want to know a little secret?

   I know a guy who thinks about you all the time. I bet He is planning your future together. You will probably think “this is scary, He is kind of obsessed with me” the truth is He is totally obsessed with you. He is loving you right now and hoping you are thinking about Him, loving Him and dreaming about Him as much as He is loving and dreaming about you.

As a Catholic, I feel beautiful when I have gone to Confession and cleaned my soul. The old cliché “It’s not what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside that counts” is so true, especially with Confession. Jesus made us women to be beautiful and His Daddy doesn’t make mistakes. You are the most beautiful woman God has ever seen and He is waiting to hear from you and to tell you how beautiful you really are. 

Josie

“A smile costs nothing but gives much.  It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give.  It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.  None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it.  Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.  Some people are too tired to give you a smile.  Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.”

“Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with another,
To be loved thoroughly and exclusively. 
But God, to a Christian says, 
“No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and content
With being loved by Me alone,
With giving yourself totally and reservedly to Me,
With having an intensely personal and unique relationship
With Me alone.
Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found,
Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship
That I have planned for you.
You will never be united with another until you are united
With Me alone,
Exclusive of anyone or anything else,
Exclusive of any other desires or longings.

I want you to stop planning,
Stop wishing,
And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing,
One that you cannot imagine.
Pleas allow Me to bring it to you.
You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction I Am.
Keep listening and learning the things I tell you.
You just wait.
That’s all.
Don’t be anxious.
Don’t worry.
Don’t look at the things you think you want;
You just keep looking off and away up to Me,
Or you’ll miss what I want to show you.
And then when you are ready,
I’ll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any
You could dream of.
You see, until you are ready and until
The one I have for you is ready
(I am working even at this moment to have you both ready at the same time),
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me
And the life I have prepared for you,
You won’t be able to experience the love that
Exemplified your relationship with Me.
And this is the perfect love.

And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love,
I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your
Relationship with Me,
And to enjoy materially and concretely
The everlasting union of beauty, perfection and love
That I offer you with Myself.
Know that I love utterly.
I Am God.
Believe it and be satisfied. “

"Be satisfied with Me"